Will There Be a Fourth DUNE Movie? Here’s What We Know…
By Movieguide® Contributor
Denis Villeneuve won’t direct any more DUNE movies after DUNE: MESSIAH, the third movie in the franchise, but Warner Bros. still plans to expand the DUNE universe.
CBR reported, “According to trusted scooper Daniel Richtman (via X), Warner Bros. is reportedly already talking about a ‘new show and a fourth movie’ in the DUNE universe. While Villeneuve has repeatedly stated that his forthcoming adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune: Messiah would be his final entry in the franchise, he has also shared that he hopes the franchise will continue under Warner Bros. and Legendary.”
“While it’s unclear what a second DUNE series might focus on, DUNE: PROPHECY, the series currently airing on HBO and Max, is based on the Great Schools of Dune novel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Following his father’s death, Brian Herbert expanded the Dune novel series with five sets of trilogies that are all set before the events of the original Dune. With PROPHECY adapting Great Schools of Dune, that leaves four trilogies left to be adapted,” CBR reported.
DUNE: PROPHECY just got renewed for a second season last month. It’s possible that the new DUNE series could be a spinoff or something completely new that isn’t based on any of the books.
Though Villeneuve is working on DUNE: MESSIAH’s screenplay, the movie may not be made anytime soon as the director insists that it first have a “strong screenplay” established.
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“The thing I want to avoid is not having something ready. I never did it, and now I feel it could be dangerous because of the enthusiasm,” he said. “We need to make sure all the ideas are on paper.”
Villeneuve previously said, “I think that it would be a good idea for me to make sure that, in MESSIAH, there are the seeds in the project if someone wants to do something else afterwards, because they are beautiful books. They are more difficult to adapt. They become more and more esoteric. It’s a bit more tricky to adapt, but I’m not closing the door. I will not do it myself, but it could happen with someone else.”
Warner Bros. currently has a spot for an unnamed movie by Villeneuve on its calendar for December 2026.
If the spot is for DUNE: MESSIAH, then the movie “will likely begin filming this year, meaning that fans won’t have to wait too much longer to learn more about the threequel,” CBR speculated.
READ MORE: WHY DUNE DIRECTOR HAS ‘ABSOLUTELY’ BANNED CELLPHONES FROM HIS SETS